Tiffany Reisz - The Lucky Ones

They called themselves “the lucky ones”

They were seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon, his almost magical beach house on the Oregon Coast. Allison was the youngest of the lucky ones living an idyllic life with her newfound family...until the night she almost died, and was then whisked away from the house and her adopted family forever.

Now, thirteen years later, Allison receives a letter from Roland, Dr. Capello’s eldest son, warning her that their father is ill and in his final days. Allison knows she must go home again and confront the ghosts of her past. She’s determined to find out what really happened that fateful night—was it an accident, or, as she’s always suspected, did one of her beloved family members try to kill her?

But digging into the past can reveal horrific truths, and when Allison pieces together the story of her life, she learns the terrible secret at the heart of the family she once loved but never really knew.

Also by Tiffany Reisz

THE NIGHT MARK

THE BOURBON THIEF

The Original Sinners series

The White Years

*

THE QUEEN

THE VIRGIN

THE KING

THE SAINT

The Red Years

*

THE MISTRESS

THE PRINCE

THE ANGEL

THE SIREN

For a complete list of books by Tiffany Reisz,

please visit www.tiffanyreisz.com.

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Lucky Ones

Tiffany Reisz

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Tiffany Reisz 2018

Tiffany Reisz asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © February 2018 ISBN: 9781474077040

To Andrew Shaffer and Jenn LeBlanc...we’ll always have Cannon Beach.

Praise for The Night Mark

“You will find yourself falling in love with every character... [Y]ou’ll wait with bated breath just to see in which direction the author will turn; and at the end you’ll find yourself not being able to go a minute without thinking of the journey and glorious storytelling of Tiffany Reisz.”

—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

“This time-travel romance is swoon-worthy and lovely. Reisz is a powerful writer who hits all the high romance you can ask for, while creating a fascinating yet believable plot that makes us believe that love can conquer all, even time and death.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The perfect summer read for historical romance fans.”

—Barnes & Noble Reads

“If you love romantic time travel and stories about eternal, never-quieting love, then you must absolutely pick up The Night Mark.”

—LitStack

“An aching meditation on grief and loss... It’s chock-full of symbolism and, most importantly, hope.”

—Heroes and Heartbreakers

Praise for The Bourbon Thief

“A dark, twisty tale of love, lust, betrayal, and murder...this novel is not one to be missed.”

—Bustle

“[Reisz’s] prose is quite beautiful, and she can weave a wonderful tight story.”

—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst

“The Bourbon Thief isn’t just good, it’s exceptional. The story captured my imagination; the characters captured my heart.”

—Literati Literature Lovers

“Reisz fills the narrative with rich historic details; memorable, if vile, characters; and enough surprises to keep the plot moving and readers hooked until the final drop of bourbon is spilled.”

—Booklist

“Beautifully written and delightfully insane... Reisz vividly captures the American South with a brutal honesty that only enhances the dark material.”

—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

“Impossible to stop reading.”

—Heroes and Heartbreakers

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Praise

Quote

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Acknowledgments

“...the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”

—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Chapter 1

Louisville, Kentucky, 2015

All Allison wanted was for this conversation to be over. That and she hoped the heavy gray clouds would part and the sun would appear. It could go either way today—sun or rain. She stood at the kitchen window, peeling old white paint off the sill as she waited for the Kentucky sky to make up its mind. Meanwhile, sitting behind her at the table, her lover, Cooper McQueen, gently ruined her life.

Then, a small mercy—the clouds split wide open. The sun shone bright enough to momentarily blind her. She exhaled in her relief. Allison had always loved the rain. She could forgive McQueen for leaving. She would never forgive him if he’d ruined the rain for her.

“She’s pregnant,” McQueen said. “She’s due in April.”

“You’re happy about it,” Allison said, working another strip of paint off the edge of the frame. She felt a silly sort of triumph when it came off in one long white ribbon.

“Cricket,” he said softly, apologetically. “Look at me.”

Allison wanted to walk out right then, walk out and never look back. She should have, she knew. Instead, she turned around and faced him. He’d just ended it and here she was, still obeying his every command.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s all right, McQueen,” she said, shrugging. “We knew this would happen eventually. Not you getting some strange woman you picked up in a bar pregnant, I mean. But...”

“But...” He sat back in the chair.

“You are happy about it, though, aren’t you?” she asked. “You can be honest with me. I’d appreciate it.”